Strategies to Promote Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Intervention Evidence

Physical activity during pregnancy has been associated with significant health benefits, however most women in the United States do not meet current guidelines. This systematic review evaluates evidence for interventions to improve physical activity during pregnancy in order to identify best practices and inform future research. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SportDISCUS, Embase, ERIC, Psych Info and ISI Web of Science) were searched in July 2011 for peer-reviewed journal articles. Studies were included if they were English-language randomized control trials that measured the efficacy of an intervention targeted to pregnant women and designed to change physical activity as a primary or secondary outcome. Out of 777 studies identified through the systematic search, nine interventions were identified for inclusion by multiple reviewers. Data was abstracted using an abstraction form modeled after the "Guide to Community Preventive Services." Of the nine interventions included in the review, three reported statistically significant positive results for physical activity. While interventions included a variety of strategies and techniques, none were uniquely associated with positive outcomes. Overall this review suggests that little is known about the efficacy of interventions for physical activity during pregnancy. We provide several recommendations for future research and intervention design.